Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Over a two-minute span near the end of the game, the Cowgirls erased a seven-point deficit to take a one-point lead, but the Cougars went on a 5-0 run to take the lead for good as the New Mexico Highlands women's basketball team (11-14, 7-14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) fell to Colorado Christian (12-9, 14-11 RMAC) 87-83 Saturday night (Feb. 22).
Trailing 74-67 with 3:41 left, the Cowgirls went on a 10-2 run over the next 1:54 to take a one-point lead. Senior
Alyssa Lopez started with a triple. Maddie Page answered with a jumper for the Cougars, but Highlands scored seven unanswered to take the lead. Junior
Trish Simpson answered with a layup, her 11th-point of the night. To go along with her scoring, Simpson finished with the double-double thanks to 12 rebounds.
After a Colorado Christian miscue, senior
China Smith was fouled. After hitting the first, she missed the second but grabbed the offensive board and was fouled. She made the ensuing free throws as the Cowgirls trailed by one. A turnover and Simpson steal led to freshman
Giulia Simioni being fouled. She made both free throws, and the Cowgirls took its first lead since the game was 51-50.
Smith recorded her 12th double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. She also had four steals, three assists and two blocks. Lopez led Highlands with 23 points.
Colorado Christian scored the next five points to take a four-point lead, the final margin of the game. A pair of free throws by Christina Whitelaw put the home team back up. She followed that up with a steal and fastbreak layup to put the visitors up 80-77. Gillian Foster split from the line to make it a four-point game as the Cowgirls could not pull within two the rest of the way.
Whitelaw led all scorers with 25 points. Kate Louthan had 17 points while Taylor Torres contributed 16 points for the visitors. Foster completed the quartet of Cougars with double-digit scoring with 13 points.
The Cougars built a 21-9 lead in the first before 10 unanswered brought the game back to one possession. Junior
Jenny Johnson started with a triple followed by a junior
Claudia Meneses layup. Lopez added a layup while being fouled. She missed the free throw, but Meneses came down with the rebound and senior
Brittany Neeley hit a triple.
Colorado Christian built the lead back to as much as eight before half, taking a 36-30 lead at the break.
The Cowgirls return to action next Saturday (March 1) for their season finale against rival Western New Mexico. Game time is 3 p.m.
